Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sundsvall Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sundsvall

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,756 in Sundsvall.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,619 in Sundsvall.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,482 in Sundsvall.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Sundsvall, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Sundsvall is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$12.87 SEK 125

-64.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$85.3 SEK 826

-45.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$10.42 SEK 101

-15.16%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.54 SEK 43.91

-32.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.46 SEK 23.78

-70.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$2.05 SEK 19.89

-80.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$7.82 SEK 75.7

-68.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$8.15 SEK 78.9

-53.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.57 SEK 15.23

43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$3.34 SEK 32.38

-45.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.82 SEK 36.95

-41.10%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.73 SEK 36.09

-39.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.14 SEK 98.1

92.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$10.31 SEK 99.8

-64.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$18.41 SEK 178

-29.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.84 SEK 27.47

13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.44 SEK 23.64

-33.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.57 SEK 24.91

-7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$4.06 SEK 39.32

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.51 SEK 14.66

1.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.42 SEK 13.78

5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.88 SEK 18.19

-47.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.03 SEK 10.01

-49.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$7.70 SEK 74.5

-42.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.27 SEK 89.8

97.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.64 SEK 15.93

13.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.56 SEK 15.10

71.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$3.36 SEK 32.52

-58.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$85.8 SEK 831

-86.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$6.45 SEK 62.5

-51.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.22 SEK 11.84

-14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$63.1 SEK 611

-77.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.90 SEK 18.39

-31.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$26.7K SEK 258.7K

4.12%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.9K SEK 260.8K

23.31%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿4,118

$132 SEK 1,273

-6.90%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.59 ฿457

$29.93 SEK 290

-54.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$25.77 SEK 250

-27.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$37.95 SEK 367

59.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$26.04 SEK 252

-34.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$14.75 SEK 143

-38.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$706 ฿23.8K

$145 SEK 1,404

387.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,164 SEK 40.3K

279.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$94.0 SEK 910

-37.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$30.77 SEK 298

14.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$77.5 SEK 750

49.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$131 SEK 1,266

-35.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$837 SEK 8,105

-25.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$634 SEK 6,140

-29.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,191 SEK 11.5K

71.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$869 SEK 8,413

71.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,466 SEK 23.9K

41.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,293 SEK 12.5K

99.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$3,018 SEK 29.2K

-83.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.48

18.97%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sundsvall: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $837 in Sundsvall. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sundsvall pays 504% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $85.0 in Sundsvall for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $333 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Sundsvall: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 504% lower in Sundsvall. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $837 in Sundsvall. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $145 in Sundsvall. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Sundsvall. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,756 in Sundsvall, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sundsvall. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sundsvall, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sundsvall are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Sundsvall. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.